3 Dee Cycles

Deltrece Daniels the League of American Bicyclists 2019 Emerging Leadership Award recipient and a Licensed Cycling Instructor who has led over 900 miles of bicycle educational and recreational tours throughout North East Ohio.

When she’s not riding bikes, or teaching others bicycle education, she can be found at an outdoor concert enjoying live music from a local band, trying a new vegan recipe in her kitchen or taking her cat Freyja on a walk in the neighborhood. Deltrece is currently presenting workshops on cycling education and hosting entertainment events virtually amidst the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Safe Routes to School & Active Transportation Manager, Ohio Department of Transportation

Cait manages ODOT’s Safe Routes to School funding program and serves as ODOT’s Active Transportation Manager where she works across the agency on bicycle and pedestrian initiatives and priorities. In her four years at ODOT she has helped lead the first ever statewide plan dedicated to walking and biking, co-managed the development of a new Multimodal Design Guide, and provides ongoing technical assistance and resource development related to advancing statewide active transportation goals. Working to ensure that walking and biking are a safe, convenient, and accessible transportation option is something she is very passionate about.

Cait graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in City & Regional Planning. Prior to working at ODOT she worked for the Ohio Department of Health on chronic disease prevention and health equity through built environment interventions. She lives in Columbus, Ohio where she can commute to ODOT’s Central Office entirely on trail.

Principal, MKSK

Chris is adept at helping communities create a unique, compelling vision and translating that vision into strategic steps that transform cities and spaces.

Chris provides a broad range of project experience to the firm including skills in comprehensive planning, municipal and regional planning, urban design, community revitalization/reinvestment, economic development, form-based codes and design guidelines.

Council Member, City of Bowling Green

Rachel Phipps was recently reelected to her second two-year term on Bowling Green City Council. During her first term, she organized and led a team that generated more than $70,000 in private investment to install parklets in downtown BG; advocated for creating a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly city; and fought for bold climate action goals. She serves as council president pro tem and the chair of the planning, zoning, and economic development committee. She is an attorney, freelance writer, and stay-at-home parent. She formerly served as the assistant dean for communications at the University of Toledo College of Law and as an environmental attorney at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Chief Engineer of Design, Department of Engineering, City of Dayton

Joe Weinel is the Chief Engineer of Design for the City of Dayton. Mr. Weinel received a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Dayton and a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management from the University of Dayton. He has worked for the City of Dayton for 29 years and currently lives in Dayton with his wife and three kids. He is an avid runner and cyclist.

Co-Founder, Unified Collective

Camille Hall is a proud Springfield native and current resident. She is a 2014 graduate of Wright State University where she earned her B.A. in Psychology. Camille has spent the bulk of her professional career feeding a passion for civic engagement primarily in the areas of elections administration and entrepreneurial empowerment as a Certified Elections Specialist with the Clark County Board of Elections since 2016 and Co-Director of The Young Black Professionals and Businesses of Springfield founded in 2019. In 2020 she helped co-found the Unified Collective, a multifaceted coalition of community change agents that champion diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice through collective impact strategies with focus in South Springfield. Recognizing the Role Race, Power, and Injustice play in society she takes pride in being a trusted resource and advocate for members of marginalized populations in hopes of creating a more equitable and inclusive reality for our community as a whole.

Co-Founder, Unified Collective

Dorian Hunter is a passionate servant-leader determined to create long term change within communities who need it most. He works with Elliott Insurance Agency as VP of Business Development & Marketing. With his role in insurance, he develops and enacts strategic efforts for the company’s communications, outreach and partnerships.

In addition to his role in insurance, Hunter is a Co-Founder of DreamVision, a social enterprise that empowers and uplifts the youth to chase after their dreams and aspirations. He and his team’s work with DreamVision also intertwined with the establishment of the local NAACP Chapter’s Youth Committee, mentorship and programming at local schools as well as other events and initiatives throughout the city of Springfield all centered around youth empowerment which have been going on since 2016. DreamVision is part of a community coalition called The Unified Collective, a group of organizations brought together to directly unite services between south Springfield and communities of color.

He serves on the Strategic Planning Committee for Mercy Health, Strategic Housing Advisory Committee in coordination with Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC), and as a Board member and treasurer with The ROYAL Academic Group. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University with his B.A. in Marketing and Communications and his M.S. in Data Analytics.

Founder & CEO, Cohear

Dani grew up in Cincinnati, and got his start in community organizing on the Obama campaign in 2012. Since then he’s worked on campaigns and in government in Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and D.C.

Dani started Cohear in 2017, and is currently running as a Democrat for State Representative in Cincinnati. He is a graduate of Yale Law School and Georgetown University, and makes a pretty solid lasagna.

Community Development Associate, CityWide Development Corporation

Caitlin Jacob is a Community Development Associate for CityWide. Caitlin’s work is primarily focused in West Dayton neighborhoods and includes community engagement, data analysis, and land use planning.

Caitlin has Masters degrees in Public Policy and Urban Planning from the University of Michigan, and she earned her Bachelors degree in Human Rights Studies and English from the University of Dayton.

Director of Community Research, The Columbus Foundation

Matt is responsible for research, development, and implementation of effective social investments that strengthen and improve the community. He leads the Foundation’s grantmaking initiatives in the areas of neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, and digital equity. Matt’s depth of knowledge and experience in urban planning and community development helps position the Foundation to be one of Columbus’ leaders in these areas of community need.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Matt was a researcher with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University for nearly a decade. While at Kirwan, Martin produced the Institute’s award-winning documentary feature film, Free To Ride, and conducted community assessments with partners around the country to help them understand spatial patterns of inequality and how to make their communities more inclusive and resilient by improving access to opportunity for their most marginalized members.

Matt began his career as a regional planner with the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission in Dayton, where he worked on land use policy, transportation planning, and regional development. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Affairs and a minor in African and African American Studies from Wright State University, and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.

Senior Consultant for City Planning, ZoneCo

ZoneCo Senior Consultant Jocelyn Gibson is an experienced and knowledgeable city planner with extensive public and private sector planning, zoning and commercial real estate experience. Jocelyn is passionate about ensuring that zoning is equitable, and she has developed methodologies for zoning equity assessments. Jocelyn also believes in zoning for sustainability given that vital role that cities will play in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Prior to joining ZoneCo, Jocelyn worked at the Global Real Estate firm, CBRE. Jocelyn was a strategist for global real estate portfolios, developing client strategies regarding locational decisions, workspace optimization, property consolidation, and advising on zoning and land use. Before her time at CBRE, Jocelyn was a Planner with the City of Cincinnati from 2012-2015. She was with the Department for the development of their award-winning form-based code and their award-winning comprehensive plan.

Jocelyn is a co-founder and past Chair of the Midwestern Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNUMW). She was elected to the CNU National Board in 2021. Jocelyn believes in acting locally; she is a Trustee in her Community Council, a Board Member of her local CDC, and President of a local Board of Zoning Appeals.

Preservation & Planning Specialist, City of Covington

Christopher is passionate about great places. He has served the public in encouraging sensitive investment in communities and preventing loss in historic areas since his graduation from Ball State University’s Bachelor of Urban Planning and Development program in 2013, and Master of Science in Historic Preservation program in 2014. His philosophy for planning and preservation efforts, to paraphrase William Murtagh: a vibrant future hinges on conversations with our present and our past.

Deputy Director of Planning & Development, City of Westerville

Carolyn Thurman is the Planning and Development Deputy Director for the City of Westerville. During her time with the City of Westerville she has worked to update the city's 40 year old zoning code to meet the future demands of the region. She has a master's in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University and a bachelor's in Psychology from Case Western Reserve University. She resides in the City of Columbus with her Husband Patrick and two young daughters.

Assistant Director of Growth Policy , City of Columbus

Kevin J. Wheeler serves as assistant director for growth policy with the Columbus Department of Development in partnership with the departments of Building and Zoning Services and Public Utilities. A primary focus of this work is leading the first comprehensive update of the City’s zoning code since the 1950s. Kevin previously served as administrator of the Columbus Planning Division. Kevin began working at the City in 1987 as a graduate intern and has been with Columbus for most of his career. He has managed a wide variety of work including land use plans, development review, growth policy initiatives, multi-jurisdictional efforts, and code development projects. Kevin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography from Miami University and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.

Chief Community Engagement Officer, Findlay-Hancock Community Foundation

Kimberly Bash is the Chief Community Engagement Officer at The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation. She joined the Community Foundation in May 2002, initially leading a K-16 youth philanthropy and service-learning partnership that was a model program for Ohio. She previously served as Director of the Cleveland Municipal School District’s EZ-UROG School to Career Program, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Central Ohio, adjunct faculty at Owens Community College, and Athletic Director for the East Toledo Family Center.

Kimberly oversees responsive grantmaking and community engagement activities at the Community Foundation and has helped lead Hancock County efforts toward coalition building and collective impact initiatives working to create lasting solutions to complex social problems. She received her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education (History/Political Science) from the University of Toledo and Master of Public Administration degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Kimberly was the recipient of Campfire USA Northwest Ohio’s On Behalf of Youth Award, and has served in leadership positions on numerous community boards, most recently on the Findlay Digital Academy (President), Raise the Bar – Hancock County (Treasurer), Hancock County Housing Steering Committee, Findlay Area Youth for Christ (President), Literacy Coalition of Hancock County and Hancock Youth Leadership (Treasurer).

Chief Planner, City of Sandusky

As Chief Planner for the City of Sandusky, Ohio, Arin Blair, AICP, oversees the Planning Division within the Department of Community Development. Her role includes long-range planning, site development, overseeing zoning and permitting, policy and program development, public arts, and historic preservation. In her previous role as a consultant in a landscape architecture, urban design, and planning practice, Arin led planning, urban design, and community engagement projects across Ohio and the Midwest. Her speaking experience includes the conferences of: APA National, APA Ohio, APA Central Ohio, SORP National Outdoor Recreation, Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, and MORPC Bike Week. Arin holds a Bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.

Executive Director, Development Fund of the Western Reserve

Rachel Bridenstine is the Executive Director of two mission driven 501(c)(3) organizations (staffed and supported by Development Finance Authority of Summit County) that are focused on access to capital for distressed areas and disadvantaged businesses in Northeast Ohio. Through these entities, Rachel has managed investments of over $125M paired with technical assistance and advocacy. Within her tenure, Rachel has worked to structure and manage multiple programs/funds for the Greater Akron Community, bringing unique financing tools with an innovative, equitable and collaborative focus. Rachel has nearly 15 years of experience in accounting, community/economic finance (including tax credits, bond financing, small business lending, and other federal funding programs), management, development, and marketing. She frequently presents information and training to communities and businesses specifically regarding access to capital and business finance tools. Last year she was a consultant for New Growth Innovation Network who performed research on development occurring in small and mid-size cities for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Recently, she was the recipient of Ohio Economic Development Association award of Economic Development Professional of the Year for 2021.

Executive Director for Community Health, Bon Secours Mercy Health

Gina Hemenway is the Executive Director of Community Health for Mercy Health in the Cincinnati Market. She leads an interdisciplinary team focused on the underlying factors impacting health and well-being in communities served by Mercy Health. Gina has 15 years’ experience navigating complex systems and harnessing the power of healthcare to create healthier communities and more equitable outcomes. Prior to Mercy Health, she helped lead several strategic initiatives at The Health Collaborative in Cincinnati, OH and Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, MA. Gina received her undergraduate degree in business administration from Wittenberg University and a graduate degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University. She serves on several community boards and advisory committees including Talbert House, Produce Perks Midwest, and Cradle Cincinnati.

President & CEO, Akron Urban League

Teresa LeGrair serves as President & CEO of the Akron Urban League where the mission is to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Summit County, particularly African Americans, by advocating and facilitating programs that are economically and educationally transformational, impacting their lives and lives of future generations.

She previously served the Akron Community Foundation as Director of Community Investment and also as President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve. Teresa has served the Akron community in many capacities over the course of her career, and prior to joining the Akron Urban League and the Boys & Girls Clubs, she served as Vice President of Programs and Member Services for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Teresa also served in leadership roles as Vice President of Operations at the Akron Urban League and as Executive Director of Human Resources and Director of Guest Services for the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Prior to working for the past 25 years in the non-profit arena, she spent 16 years with Aetna Health Plans in various and progressive roles of responsibility. Teresa holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Malone University and is a graduate of Leadership Akron, Class XXIV. Her current board and committee involvement include, ConxusNEO Board of Directors, Greater Akron Chamber Board Executive Committee, Co-chair of GAC’s Equity & Inclusion Committee, Elevate Greater Akron Steering Committee, member of Summa Cancer Institute Leadership Council and the Summa Healing Arts Leadership Council. She was appointed by the Mayor to serve on the Executive Committee of the Racial, Equity & Social Justice Task Force. Prior board and community involvement include, Heart to Heart Board of Directors, Jr. Leadership Akron Co-Chair, N.E.X.T. Program Day Chair for Leadership Akron, UW Dorothy O. Jackson Leadership Society, Character Counts Board, United Way Basic Needs and Public Policy Committee and the LeBron James King for Kids Bike-a-Thon. She was the prior award recipient of the Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Drum Majors Roll Call Award, Akron Black Women’s Leadership Caucus Award, Akron Urban League’s Woman of Power Award, Moving Beyond Hope Mover and Shaker Award, finalist for the ATHENA Akron Leadership Award and the 2020 Woman of the Year Award for Integrity by the Summit County Historical Society. In 2021, she was awarded the Women of Legacy Award by Limitless Ambition and the Glass Half Full Award by the GAR Foundation. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Director, Firelands Forward

David White is the Director of Firelands Forward, a workforce development collaborative that services Erie, Huron, and Ottawa Counties, Ohio. David has been with Firelands Forward since November of 2021. David retired from the Army’s Special Operations Command in early 2021 after serving 18 years in the service. He grew up in Toledo and currently resides in Huron, Ohio with his wife and two children. David graduated from Ohio State University with his Executive MBA. He is passionate about serving the local community and is excited to help break down barriers to employment in the area.

Director of Operations, Working in Neighborhoods

Hope Wilson is the Director of Operations & Housing Programs for Working In Neighborhoods (WIN). Hope is a HUD Certified Housing Counselor & Homebuyer Educator helping families attain and maintain homeownership in the Greater Cincinnati region. Prior to her current role she worked as the Community & Housing Development Manager and been involved in the development process for over 50 single family homeownership units and 18 senior rental units. Hope was involved in the acquisition, rehab, new construction, and sale of WIN’s homes that are sold to low-moderate income first time homebuyer’s. Hope started at WIN as a Community Organizer focused on housing & lending issues.

Small Business Owner, Community Activist

Nikki Lloyd is a pharmacist by trade but found her second career as an entrepreneur. Originally from Northern Ohio, Nikki spent the better part a decade in Colorado as pharmacist who loved to ski. Realizing the potential growth for Sandusky and wanting to leave the corporate world of the health industry, she moved back in 2012 with purpose. First, opening Volstead Bar, a speakeasy located in Historic Downtown Sandusky, she quickly realized she wanted to dive deeper into the community.

Through the years, she completed a term as a City Commissioner, continues to be heavily involved in the forward motion of Sandusky and opened a boutique hotel, Hotel Kilbourne, Moseley's Rooftop Bar, Oh Taco, and Dandelion Gift Store. Nikki and her wife, Robin Lloyd, also own World Famous 546 Tattoo Studio and The Bonnie Gallery. The couple co-founded Sandusky Pride in 2018 and will celebrate it's 5th annual festival June 24-26, 2022. Nikki also coordinates multiple downtown events such as Sandusky Restaurant Week, Wine Walk and New Year’s Eve Fireworks Celebration.

Coordinator of Programs & Resources, Van Wert County Foundation

After living in Central Ohio for 7 years, Laney Nofer returned to her hometown of Van Wert Ohio to plant her roots. She is passionate about where she is from and making Van Wert a vibrant place to live and work. Her role as Planning + Resources Specialist with the Van Wert County Foundation allows her to broaden community outreach efforts and enhance the "Van Wert Forward" initiative through project planning and grant writing efforts.

Owner, BridgetLenà

Bridget Lenà’ Burel, the force behind the BridgetLenà brand is an entrepreneur, motivator, community leader and voice for the community in which she lives. Bridget, a Sandusky native and resident is a licensed manicurist and aestitician, specializing in all things Beauty and skin. Bridget’s talents and expertise can be found on full display as the owner and operator of Lenà Brows & Beauty Bar in downtown Sandusky. After gaining educational experience at Cleveland State University, Bridget embarked on a career change by investing six months into another educational program that has laid a foundation for her continued business success, six years later. Bridget credits leaving college to pursue her passion as a start to her story but it doesn’t end there. Bridget has inspired others to “tap in” to their potential and pursue their gifts and talents and aims to make a difference through her service.

Project Manager, Southeast Ohio Economic Development

Taylor Stepp, CEcD is an economic development and public affairs professional with a passion for southeastern Ohio. Taylor was twice elected student body president at The Ohio State University where he represented the student body at the university, statewide and nationally. Following his time at OSU, Taylor worked at JobsOhio as a project coordinator. He was then fortunate to work for former Speaker of the Ohio House, Ryan Smith as his Legislative Aide, House Finance Clerk and Director of Operations. Taylor returned to economic development in 2018 as a project manager for Ohio Southeast Economic Development. He covers 9 counties in southern Ohio and his projects have yielded over 1,600 new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment in Adams, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Vinton counties.

Planning Director, Clinton County Regional Planning Commission

Taylor Stuckert serves as the Executive Director of the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission and leads planning and development efforts across Clinton County, Ohio. Taylor is also the Co-Founder of Energize Clinton County (ECC), a non-profit organization whose work, in collaboration with the CCRPC, was awarded the 2013 National Planning Achievement Award for Innovation in Economic Planning and Development by the American Planning Association. Taylor has been featured in a range of publications and as a speaker at state, national, and international venues.

Taylor serves as a Trustee of Wilmington College and a board member of the County Planning Directors of Ohio, the Ohio State University Swank Program in Rural-Urban Policy and serves on several local boards including: the Clinton County Trails Coalition, Business Advisory Council, and Joint Recreation District.

Taylor holds a Master of Community Planning, with a specialization in Economic Development, from the University of Cincinnati-College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Butler University, and is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) having served in Bolivia.

Director of Strategic Engagment, Greater Ohio Policy Center

As the Director of Strategic Engagement for the Greater Ohio Policy Center, Jason is responsible for representing GOPC at the Ohio Statehouse, advocating for the issues and policy positions central to the organization's mission, as well as overseeing the organization’s strategic communications operation.

Jason brings nearly 20 years of experience working in and around Ohio state government. For more than eight years, he served as a legislative aide in the Ohio House of Representatives, working on a wide array of policy matters including agriculture, economic development, and taxation and transportation policy. A former staff assistant to the House Ways & Means Committee and House Finance Transportation subcommittee, Jason also worked for more than two years addressing issues before the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR). For the past eleven years, Jason has worked as a policy advocate, working on issues including education, housing, transportation, community revitalization and brownfield redevelopment.

Jason is a 2001 graduate of the University of Akron where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in American Political Science. He also holds a certificate in Applied Politics from the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron. He has served on the board of directors of the Oakstone Community School since 2012 and as President of the board since 2018. A member of the Ohio Lobbying Association since 2016, Jason is a Certified Lobbyist, possessing in-depth knowledge of legislative, executive and regulatory procedures along with the rules, regulations and ethical standards to which all lobbyists must adhere in Ohio.

President & CEO, Lucas County Land Bank

David Mann is the President & CEO of the Lucas County Land Bank, a public non-profit based in Toledo, Ohio that is building neighborhoods for lasting positive change in our community. In his role, David manages a staff of 10 talented professionals and an annual budget of over $6 million. David has been actively involved in redevelopment, public policy, and land banking for 17 years and is on the board of the Ohio Land Bank Association. An attorney, David graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law with highest honors.

President & CEO, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress

Tania Menesse is the CEO and President of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, an intermediary whose mission is to foster the equitable revitalization of neighborhoods throughout Cleveland by strengthening the community development ecosystem. The organization’s first priority is to ensure that the City’s Community Development Corporations have access to the financial resources, talent, industry expertise and technical assistance they need to effectively serve their neighborhoods. CNP’s portfolio includes placemaking services for neighborhoods and economic opportunities for residents. Village Capital Corporation, a Community Development Finance Institution, and New Village Corporation, a development arm, are subsidiaries of CNP.

Through October 2020, Tania Menesse was the Director of Community Development for the City of Cleveland. The Department of Community Development is responsible for the city's housing and neighborhood commercial redevelopment programs and the city's efforts to develop neighborhood strategies. During Menesse’s tenure at the City, she led the community wide equitable development taskforce, started the Middle Neighborhoods initiative, was an active participant in establishing the Lead Safe Home Fund and kicked off the City’s Ten Year Housing and Investment Plan.

Prior to joining the City of Cleveland, Menesse was the Director of Economic Development for the City of Shaker Heights. The primary objective of her role was to generate a commercial revenue base for the City by attracting, retaining and facilitating the expansion of businesses that contributed to Shaker’s distinctive character. Menesse developed the City’s economic development plan, started its CDC, the Shaker Heights Development Corporation and led the development of The Van Aken District, Shaker Heights’ downtown.

Eleven years of experience in sales, product development, project management and process re-engineering in the private sector provided a foundation for Menesse’s neighborhood economic development efforts. She made the transition to the public and non-profit sector by completing her master’s degree in Urban Studies with a concentration in Economic Development at Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs.

Menesse serves on the Boards of Destination Cleveland, Digital C, Fund for our Economic Future and Greater Ohio Policy Center. She also serves on the steering committee for the Cleveland Innovation Project and is a Levin College Visiting Committee. She grew up in Shaker Heights and moved back to Cleveland seventeen years ago with her family to focus her career on the revitalization of Greater Cleveland.

The Ridgewood Group, LLC.

Brian Potts is the Managing Partner of The Ridgewood Group, a firm that specializes in the acquisition, revitalization and management of single family and multifamily properties. Mr. Potts focuses his work on value-add projects in core urban neighborhoods in Springfield and Dayton. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from The Ohio State University and his Master’s in Accounting from The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Potts also holds an Ohio Real Estate Broker’s License. Brian resides in Springfield with his wife and two children.

Vice President of State CRC, Mortgage Sales Manager, Huntington Bank

With more than 27 years of experience in financial services, D.J. thrives on the opportunity to change people’s lives and create wealth. As the State Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Lending Sales Manager at Huntington Bank, he is focused on providing lending expertise in various states, including Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida. In this role, D.J. partners closely with municipalities, housing counseling providers, community development organizations, developers and others to provide partnerships that lead to home ownership opportunities with a focus on Low to Moderate Income (LMI) markets and Low to Moderate Incoming borrowers.

D.J. graduated from Marietta College with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. He joined Huntington Bank in 1998 where he started off in the Retail Bank and Home Lending areas. He has broad expertise in residential lending and first-time homebuyer’s programs and is passionate on finding a career that helps others. D.J. has two sons and lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Director of Community Development, Gertrude Wood Community Foundation

Mashelle Williams-Gladney is the Director of Development and Affordable Housing for the Gertrude Wood Community Foundation (GWCF). She oversees the development activity for new construction and rehabbed properties in the Driving Park community. The goal is to renovate homes in their target area, one street at a time.

She also facilitates programs offered under GWCFs Supportive Housing Services (Credit Restoration, Financial Empowerment and Home Maintenance/Community Relations).

Previously, she served as Program Manager for Greater Linden Development Corporation and Program Support for Miracit Development Corporation. Mashelle was a Mortgage Originator for National City Bank (now PNC) and Heartwell Mortgage, specializing in FHA loans and down payment assistance programs to individuals at/below 80% AMI.

Mashelle’s passion is to educate, enlighten and empower individuals; providing them tools to become financially independent, to transition from renter to homeowner and to become active participants within the community.

She graduated from Elyria West High School (Elyria, OH) and ranked as a National Honor Society student and holds an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Computer Information Systems from DeVry Institute of Technology. Mashelle has been married for 35 years, has two sons and resides in Columbus, OH.

Community Development for All People, Linden Market

Báez joined Community Development for All People in April 2021 and deeply cares about the Linden Community. He oversees the operations at the Linden Market, where he supervises staff, volunteers, donation drop offs and deliveries.

Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Business Incubation & Innovation Center, ECDI

As Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Business Incubation & Innovation Center, Douglas oversees ECDI's Strategic Partnership efforts and is responsible for cultivating new relationships, securing new sources of funding, managing all new proposals and collaborating with department heads to ensure accurate data collection and program management are met. In addition to Strategic Partnership duties, Douglas is responsible for the operation of ECDI's Business Incubation & Innovation Center, home to ECDI's wrap-around small business training services. He is a driving force of curriculum development and technology resources for entrepreneurs.

Real Estate Project Manager , Homeport

Mr. Derden brings over 22 years of experience from working in Non-Profit Housing, Community Development, Property Management, Architecture & Construction Administration, as well as, Real Estate Sales & Mortgage Lending. His role consists of managing projects from pre-acquisition through construction. His diverse project background includes a wide range of housing types, retail, medical, office, municipal buildings, and arenas up to $110M in size. He closed nearly $5M in real estate transactions. Mr. Derden has his Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in Architecture from The Ohio State University, as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Ashland University.

Relationship Manager, ECDI

Johnson is a Relationship Manager for ECDI. Previously, he worked for the City of Columbus and at a number of financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase and Fifth Third. At ECDI, Johnson helps small business owners prepare to take on loans that will stabilize and grow their businesses.

Vice President of Community Development Lending, Ohio Capital Finance Corporation

Mr. Murphy joined Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing in 2019 as Vice President of Community Development Lending at Ohio Finance Capital Corporation (OCFC), the lending arm of the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing. His responsibilities include providing capital towards the development of affordable housing and community revitalization projects in an effort to help strengthen neighborhoods.

Prior to joining OCCH, Mr. Murphy served for over six years at the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County (AHT) and the Community Development Collaborative of Greater Columbus (Collaborative). During his tenure, he served as both Loan Manager for AHT and Program Manager for the Collaborative. As Loan Manager, his roles included origination, underwriting, loan servicing and portfolio management. As Program Manager, he administered the capacity building grant program and provided technical assistance to Community Development Corporations. Mr. Murphy received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Public Administration) from the Ohio University, served as an AmeriCorps Member, and is a certified Housing Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council.

Neighborhood Program Specialist, City of Columbus

Scales is a Neighborhood Program Specialist for the City of Columbus, serving a range of neighborhoods including North and South Linden. Scales has previously served as the Chair of the South Linden Area Commission, and has worked as a Program Manager of the Linden Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA), and a Neighborhood Integration Manager for City of Columbus’s CelebrateOne program. Scales grew up in the Columbus neighborhood of Linden and makes it her home today.

Executive Director, Community of Caring Development Foundation

Troy is an accomplished entrepreneur and Executive Director of the Community of Caring Development Foundation. Community of Caring is the community and economic development arm of New Salem Baptist Church, located in North Linden, a neighborhood of Columbus. Troy has established numerous real estate partnerships throughout the Midwest, which has resulted in housing nearly 1,000 families, community development-based projects totaling more than $250 Million, job creation along with access to quality goods & services in the areas of grocery, healthcare, retail business and homeownership/banking related products for under-served markets

Vice President of Real Estate Development, Homeport

Aaron Wasserman joined Homeport in March 2022 as the vice president of real estate development. He most recently was an underwriting analyst for Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, financing a wide range of affordable housing in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Previously, Aaron was the director of real estate development for The Neighborhood Developers, a NeighborWorks organization serving metro Boston, where he oversaw the organization’s affordable housing developments, from acquisition through project completion. He holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College. Aaron lives in Columbus with his wife and two sons.

Executive Director, Healthy Homes

Gretchen West serves as the Executive Director of Healthy Homes, a nonprofit housing organization and collaboration between Community Development for All People and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The goal of Healthy Homes is to provide high-quality, affordable housing throughout Columbus, Ohio. Gretchen leads the housing team responsible for managing the homeownership, rental, and home repair programs. Since 2008, more than 375 housing units have been improved, representing an investment of $33 million. Gretchen has been with Healthy Homes since its inception, starting as an AmeriCorps VISTA worker. Gretchen earned a bachelor’s degree and a Master of City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.

Brownfield Coordinator, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

Roxanne Anderson is a Brownfield Coordinator at the Ohio EPA in the Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization. She coordinates with state and federal agencies, stakeholder organizations, and local governments to leverage brownfield incentives with Ohio EPA’s Targeted Brownfield Assessment and Grant Funded Technical Assistance incentives. She organizes training and workshops, as well as performs outreach and marketing of various Ohio EPA and other state brownfield revitalization incentives to local community officials, developers, and other interested parties. Roxanne has additional experience in ecological research with the USDA-ARS, and as a Watershed Coordinator.

Senior Manager of Outreach & Projects, Greater Ohio Policy Center

As Senior Manager of Outreach and Projects, Aaron manages multiple policy projects to assist the organization in advancing and championing a statewide agenda of revitalization and economic prosperity. Aaron’s main focus area is GOPC’s brownfields policy work. Aaron also assists the organization with coalition-building and research projects, and manages the organization’s Reinvention Cities Network.

Aaron earned his Master’s in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. Prior to his time in Chicago, Aaron graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Public Affairs from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. Throughout Aaron’s academic and professional experiences, he has worked on numerous policy issues – most recently, on human services policy work.

Aaron serves as an adviser to the Ohio State chapter of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, where he was a brother during his undergraduate years.

CEO, Hemisphere

Todd S. Davis, Esq. is the Chief Executive Officer of Hemisphere Brownfield Group LLC and Hemisphere Brownfield Consulting LLC. Mr. Davis focuses his work on all aspects of redeveloping contaminated property and the environmental aspects of real estate transactions. In this role, he has actively acquired numerous sites for Hemisphere’s portfolio and provided strategic advice in hundreds of transactions, including a number of the nation’s largest and most sophisticated brownfield redevelopments. Mr. Davis has been widely published in treatises, periodicals and newspapers. He is the principal author of an extensive 1,100-page treatise on redeveloping brownfield sites nationally, entitled Brownfields: A Comprehensive Guide to Redeveloping Contaminated Property (3rd Ed. 2010), published by the American Bar Association (ABA). He has contributed to a number of national publications on environmental law, including the Urban Land Institute’s book on brownfield redevelopment, and Implementing Institutional Controls at Brownfields and Other Contaminated Sites (2nd Ed. ABA 2012).

Eadon Consulting Group

Harry is the Past President / Executive Director of the Tuscarawas County Economic Development Corporation. In that position he also has responsibility to manage the Economic Development and Finance Alliance of Tuscarawas County and the Tuscarawas County Community Improvement Corporation. He serves as a Board Member and Interim Executive Director of the Business Factory, a small business incubator. He graduated from Elyria High School in 1971, attended Muskingum College and graduated from Lorain County Community College in 1981 with an Associates of Arts. In addition, Harry graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts and Case Western Reserve University in 1994 with a Masters of Accountancy.

Harry’s professional career spans more than forty years. He has experience in the following industries: Chemical Processing as an Operations Manager, Equipment Manufacturing as Chief Financial Officer then Division General Manager, Automotive Tier One Manufacturer as Chief Financial Officer then Systems Transition Team Manager, Consumer Building Products Manufacturer’s Chief Financial Officer, Business Systems Consultant, and now Economic Development Professional.

Harry is very active in the local community. He has served on the Dover Schools Continuous Improvement Committee for ten years and is a past Board Member of the Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce. He is an OHSAA Football Referee and Fast Pitch Softball Umpire. He is also the VP of Legislative Affairs of the Ohio Economic Development Association, President of the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance, and the Past-Chairman of the Ohio Council of Port Authorities. Harry lives in Portage Lakes with his wife, Lorrie.

Executive Director, Burten, Bell, Carr Development

Joy Johnson is the Executive Director of Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc. She assumed this role June 1, 2020, after serving as Associate Director from 2014-2020. Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc. (BBC) is a non-profit community development corporation serving Cleveland's Buckeye-Shaker Square, Buckeye-Woodhill, Central, and Kinsman neighborhoods on the east side of Cleveland. The organization develops real estate projects in these challenged communities and provides supportive social service programming where needed. The mission of BBC is to empower citizens and revitalize blighted and underserved communities.

A graduate of Jane Addams Business Careers High School in Cleveland, Joy received her Bachelor's Degree in Communication Arts from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania and a Master of Public Administration Degree and Certificate of Non-Profit Management from Cleveland State University. She is a graduate of Leadership Cleveland class of 2021 and serves on several community boards and committees, including the YWCA of Greater Cleveland and Breakthrough Public Schools.

Principal, Grovedale Consulting

Peg Moertl is a leader with over 40 years of experience in corporate, government and not for profit management who began her own national practice, Grovedale Consulting, in 2021, focused on strategic community economic development and affordable housing leadership. She also serves as executive director of a local initiative, Greater Cincinnati Regeneration Alliance.

Peg served as President and CEO for two established financial intermediaries: multistate affordable housing powerhouse Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing (OCCH) and HCDC, a non-profit economic development agency. She served as Senior Vice President of Community Development Banking at PNC Bank for nearly 15 years. She held jobs leading nonprofit and public sector agencies.

In addition to ULI, Peg serves on or chaired boards of community and economic development and human service agencies and has been recognized locally and nationally for impact. She is a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class XXIII.

Mayor, City of Athens

Mayor Steve Patterson is the Mayor of Athens, Ohio and former Associate Professor of Psychology at Ohio University (18 years). Mayor Patterson served in the United States Air Force and the District of Columbia Air National Guard for over 20 years in both the Enlisted and Commissioned ranks and retired as a Major. He serves on the Board of Directors for the International Town-Gown Association (President-elect), National League of Cities, Buckeye Hills Regional Council, Athens County Economic Development Council, member of the Ohio Mayors Alliance, President of the Mayors Partnership for Progress and Chair of the National League of Cities University Communities Council. Finally, the Mayor and his wife Connie are the proud parents of 10 year-old twin daughters, Adelia and Alana.

Director of Government Affairs, Central Ohio Transit Authority

Aslyne Rodriguez joined the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) in April of 2020 as the Director of Government Affairs with the goal of ensuring that some of Central Ohio’s most vulnerable residents have a voice in state government. In her role, Aslyne is most proud of overseeing policy agendas for the 2021-2022 budget that includes housing and broadband for the first time ever, as well as the launch of COTA/Plus South Columbus, which connects customers door to door to job centers, healthcare facilities, community centers, and schools.

Aslyne came to COTA with a background in many areas, from education to entrepreneurism. She has worked tirelessly to promote access and equity for others through innovative initiatives and partnerships across all industries. Aslyne founded EmpowerBus in 2017 with the mission to provide upward mobility for all by delivering dignified, reliable, and on-time transportation. Aslyne has worked as an educator through Teach For America, an executive director for an after-school program for at-risk youth and the COO for a women’s leadership development organization.

Aslyne, an Ohio native, earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Ohio University and a Master of Science in early childhood education at Pace University.

Aslyne’s notable work garnered her the “40 Under 40 in Transportation” award in 2019 and the “40 Under 40” award from Columbus Business First in 2020. She serves on several boards, including YMCA, Mid-Ohio Food Collective and South Side Thrive.

Learn more about what drives Aslyne here.

President & CEO, COCIC

Curtiss is currently serving as President/CEO of COCIC, The Land Reutilization Corporation of Franklin County (The Franklin County Land Bank), and the Central Ohio Community Land Trust (COCLT). His professional work history of over 30 years in the private, public and quasi-public sectors has given him insights into the many issues facing communities and development organizations as they consider their planning, development and economic development agendas. He has served on the Board of Directors of national, statewide, regional and local organizations. He has a BA from Ohio State University and has completed all course work at OSU towards a Master’s in City and Regional Planning. He has received his certification as a Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) from the National Development Council.